The University Community Next Generation Innovation Project, or Gig.U, is a broad-based group of over 30 leading research universities from across the United States. Drawing on America’s rich history of community-led innovation in research and entrepreneurship, Gig.U seeks to accelerate the deployment of ultra high-speed networks to leading U.S. universities and their surrounding communities. Improvements to these networks drive economic growth and stimulate a new generationof innovations addressing critical needs, such as health care and education.

Gig.U members understand that next-gen networks lead to next-gen opportunities.

“Gig.U began three years ago with three-dozen research university communities coming together to accelerate the deployment of next-generation broadband networks to enhance educational and economic development. We believed that eliminating bandwidth as constraint to innovation would lead to economic and social progress for our communities and accelerate the discoveries university communities create for the world.”

Next Generation Broadband Networks: New Table Stakes for Cities? Blair Levin Executive Director Gig.U Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program Brookings Institute February 2, 2015 Syracuse, NY I have to start by questioning the wisdom of an audience who comes to hear someone speak who demonstrates his mental acuity by accepting a speaking invitation […]

Today, President Obama will announce steps he will discuss in the State of the Union to help more Americans, in more communities around the country, get access to fast and affordable broadband. The following statement may be attributed to Blair Levin, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution and Executive Director of Gig.U. It’s great […]

Blair Levin Brookings Institute Metropolitan Policy Project Kansas City Gigabit Summit January 12, 2014 It is an honor to kick off this First Gigabit City Summit. The arc of history is long but every now and then, its curve steepens and you can see the actual moment, not just the gradual sweep, of change. We […]

On behalf of all who have worked on the Gig.U project, we want to thank everyone in our community for a 2014 that saw tremendous progress toward our common goal of accelerating the deployment of next generation broadband networks. We summarized that progress in our summer report on the Game of Gigs. The progress has […]